Process for making an inflammable composition



Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PROCESS FOR MAKING AN COMPOSITION Hector Menzies Minnice, Eureka, Calii'., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application April 21, 1930 Serial No. 446,187

8 Claims. (Cl. 44--'I) This invention relates to an improved and especially prepared composition that can be used for any and all kinds of igniting purposes and is combined of such ingredients as will make it possible to compress the composition into a molded form.

The composition is preferably composed of such ingredients as will be hereinafter specified and in such proportions as hereinafter stated or in such other proportions as may be desirable and satisfactory.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to form an inflammable but non-flaming composition of the character described out of such ingredients that will not produce offensive odors when ignited and to compress the composition into a solid form of such shape that it can be readily used as an igniter for lighting cigarettes, cigars, pipes and for other purposes where cigarette lighters can be used.

It is another object of the invention to preferably form the composition out of comminuted carbonized material such as vegetable fiber and to provide an ingredient that will bind the comminuted elements together into a molded form when they are compressed and to provide a small quantity of a more readily ignitible substance in the composition to increase the igniting qualities of the composition In effecting the present invention the following combination of ingredients is employed, and the preferred proportions by weight are approximately as follows:

Per cent carbonized vegetable fiber 94 Niter 1 Starch 5 In preparing the composition, it is preferable to saturate the ingredients with water so that they will more readily compress into a solid form. The carbonized material is preferably made out of linen or any other suitable vegetable fiber from which the flame-producing elements have been expelled by combustion. The carbonizing process consists in placing the fibrous material on flat wire screens and moving the screens between two flames, one of which is provided above the screens and the other below the screens, thus carbonizing the fibrous material from both sides. When the material has been carbonized to the desired carbonization, as when the flame-producing combustion elements have been expelled by combustion, but in which there are left remaining a proportion of non-flaming combustible elements or constituents; the screens are moved away from the flames and are immediately placed between two plates and the fire on the material extinguished. Any suitable method of moving the screens and plates may be used that will perform the work in an eflicient manner.

It has been discovered through experimenting that the most suitable binder to hold the ingredients together in a solid form is starch and that tapioca produces the most suitable starch, due to the fact that it does not produce any offensive odors when ignited. The tapioca is cooked in a suitable quantity of liquid until it reaches the desired consistency, after which it is thoroughly mixed into the comminuted carbonized fiber. A small amount of niter is added to the mass and is thoroughly mixed therein to increase the combustion of the composition.

After the ingredients have been processed in the proper state and thoroughly mixed into a uniform mass, the mixture is put into suitable molds and pressure applied to compress the elements together into the desired shape. The pre ferred shape best suited for use in connection with cigarette or cigar lighters is an oblong cylindrical form about the thickness of an ordiso nary cigarette. These oblong cylindrical combustible members may then be placed into a suitable lighterthat is provided with a friction created sparking means and may thus be ignited to serve any purpose to which a cigarette lighter or any other lighter can be applied. The said composition can be very easily ignited by a standard flint and scratch wheel, or by a sun glass and other methods used for igniting.

Having thus illustrated and described the preferred ingredients and proportions thereof, it is to be understood that any suitable method may be used for making the material into a solid form; and it is desired to include in this application for Letters Patent of the United States of America any and all patentable novelty that exists in the description disclosed and all that comes within the fundamental principles of the invention as set forth in the claims hereinafter mentioned.

What is claimed:

1. A composition of matter for use as an inflammable substance consisting of tinder, niter, and tapioca starch made into a solid form.

2. A composition of matter for use as an inflammable substance consisting substantially in a mixture of 94 per cent tinder, 5 per cent tapioca starch and l per cent niter made into a solid form.

3. A non-flaming combustible for cigar and cigarette lighters comprising the residue of a mass of vegetable fibre from which the flame producing combustion elements have been expelled by combustion, but in which there remained nonfiaming combustible elements, the surface of said mass being readily ignitable by a frictionally created spark directed thereupon to produce thereon a non-flaming fire.

4. A non-flaming combustible for cigar and cigarette lighters comprising the residue of a mass of vegetable fibre from which the flame producing combustion elements have been expelled by combustion, but in which there remained nonfiaming combustible elements, said residue mixed with a non-flaming binder and molded into a cylindrical body, the surface of which is readily ignitible by a frictionally created spark directed thereupon to produce thereon a non-flaming fire.

5. A non-flaming combustible for cigar and cigarette lighters comprising the residue of a mass of vegetable fibre from which the flame producing combustion elements have been expelled by combustion, but in which there remained nonfiaming combustible constituents, said residue mixed with a binder and molded into a cylinder having a density susceptible to ready ignition of its surface by a frictionally created spark directed thereupon to produce on said surface a nonflaming fire.

6. A non-flaming combustible tor cigar and cigarette lighters, comprising a composition including comminuted particles of carbonized vegetable fibers from which the flame-producing elements have been consumed by combustion,. but in which there remain non-flaming combustible elements, and a non-flaming binder, the surface of said mass being readily ignitible by a friction created spark directed thereagainst.

7. A non-flaming combustible for cigar and cigarette lighters, comprising a composition including comminuted particles of carbonized vegetable fibers from which the flame-producing elements have been consumed by combustion, but in which there remain a proportion of non-flaming combustible elements, and a non-flaming binder, said composition being molded to appropriate form and the surface thereof being ignitible by a friction-created spark directed thereon.

8. The process of making a non-flaming combustible for use in connection with friction-spark igniting lighters, which consists in burning a mass of vegetable fibers to expel the flame-producing elements, extinguishing a fire before all the combustible constituents have been consumed, mixing the carbonized residue with a suitable non-fiaming binder and then lightly packing and molding'the mass to the desired shape.

HECTOR MENZIES MINNICE. 

